Chad Durbin left the Phillies’ 7-6 victory over the Cleveland Indians in the ninth inning due to an apparent hamstring injury.
It didn’t look too terribly serious, but Charlie Manuel killed any optimism immediately after the game.
“He blew out a hammy,” Manuel told the media after Jimmy Rollins’ walk-off home run. “I would say it’s pretty serious. He definitely popped it.”
Great. Another pitcher down for an extended period of time, leaving it to guys who will either be incredibly overworked or leaving them with no choice other than to call someone up or look to a rather shallow free agent pool.
But then the optimism came back as Durbin seemed to shoot down Manuel’s bleak diagnosis.
“It’s a little better than what Charlie said,” Durbin said. “That scared me. He was just in the dramatic mood because of the home run.”
Durbin said he’s expecting a stint on the DL but that it’s only a Grade 1 sprain and should only take between 10 to 14 days to heal. It could, however, take up to three weeks.
So while it’s not nearly as bad as Manuel made it sound, it’s still not good news.
The bullpen has been an Achilles’ heel of this team as of late, and it can’t afford to get any thinner. Ryan Madson and Antonio Bastardo are already on the DL, Brad Lidge still might be working through some things, and the other guys in the ‘pen aren’t going to be able to handle a huge workload.
Durbin landing on the DL does open up a spot, however, and it could mean the return of Scott Mathieson to the active roster. Whether or not he gets used outside of a pinch situation has yet to be seen, but it’s possible he’s the guy they turn to for depth.
Greg Dobbs Accepts Assignment to Triple-A Lehigh Valley
In some semi-good news, Greg Dobbs has decided he’s going to stay in the Phillies’ system and head down to Triple-A rather than becoming a free agent after passing through waivers.
With some consistent at-bats and some time in the field, Dobbs might be able to find his stride once again and find his way back on the active roster before the season is over.
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